Is This True?

[pablo222]

It is not a great idea! Having a group of diners come in the middle of a meal means that the server has to leave his people and wait on the newcomers. It disturbs the flow of the meal of the TA diners.

 

And, the people at the door are pointing at your table and saying

to the head waiter -- there are empty seats right there, why can't

we be seated, now???

 

This is the difference between a cruise ship and a private yacht.

 

Often, the same flow issues happen between a table for 2, and

a table for 8.

 

The 2-top will proceed much faster, and the 8-top will only go

at the speed of the slowest diner. Either the wait staff has to

handle each separatly, or the 2-top waits.

[Lovetocruiseprincess]

We were once on a trip where were seated towards the back wall (TD dining at a table for 2, same table every night) and every night we arrived early as possible around 5:30. Most of the tables around us were always empty at that time awaiting a group who reserved them for a 6:15 PM arrival. Needless to say that at 6:15 all the waiters/assistants went to serve the new arrivals (20 to 30 of them arriving together) and all wanted drinks/wine, menus etc. and the whole section came to a grinding halt for 20 minutes. There was no refills of drinks, no food to be served, no plate removal. We were lucky to have had our main course by that time but the commotion in our section was overwhelming. Our waiter apologized & said there was nothing that he could do.

A simple talk to the head waiter with a change of sections solved the whole problem.

[latebloomer56]

Well it never occurred to us to go to AT when we elect to not go to our TD for dinner. We generally know if we are not going to our assigned seats and tell our wait staff not to expect us. But never thought that if later in the evening we had a change of plan we could go to the AT venue. With so many other options it has never been an issue. We changed to TD in 2011 when I was not at my best because this was easier for us. I love the early seating and only was waitlisted once (Pacific) but still got early seating. I can see it being an issue though because some evenings there are several empty seats. They are not all in the buffet or bistro (I hated this on Pacific).

Nice post folks thanks.

[FawnRiver]

We always do late traditional. Only once did we do anytime dining and that was to sit with the group of fellow cruisers that we did a private excursion with.

 

It was fun, but the service is better in traditional dining IMHO.

 

I do agree that once you make a choice, you should stick with it (or use the other venues - buffet or specialty restaurants).

[Ethel5]

And, the people at the door are pointing at your table and saying

to the head waiter -- there are empty seats right there, why can't

we be seated, now???

 

This is the difference between a cruise ship and a private yacht.

 

Often, the same flow issues happen between a table for 2, and

a table for 8.

 

The 2-top will proceed much faster, and the 8-top will only go

at the speed of the slowest diner. Either the wait staff has to

handle each separatly, or the 2-top waits.

 

First my table is always full! Secondly, I know the difference between a private yacht and a cruise ship and wouldn't expect the same treatment. What I am saying and you fail to grasp, it when AT diners are brought to the TD dining room and seated after the meal service is well underway, it causes a disruption in the flow of the meal. I am expecting a smooth flow and not a 20 minute disruption in service. I don't blame my servers for this, I blame the MD & head waiters for allowing this to happen. They need to learn to "Just say NO!"

[Lovetocruiseprincess]

It's a little hard to demand that no additional people be seated in your section.

[Pam in CA]

Well it never occurred to us to go to AT when we elect to not go to our TD for dinner. We generally know if we are not going to our assigned seats and tell our wait staff not to expect us.

Same here. We go to the buffet or do room service.

[Bruin Steve]

Ahhhhhh...

We've hit on my biggest pet peeve with Princess.

I wrote about this issue extensively in my review when we cruised on the Diamond Princess many years ago: Anytime Dining Rooms were incredibly crowded with long waits while the traditional dining rooms were EMPTY. It was very apparent that people were booking Traditional Dining, then using it as a fallback reservation: "Okay, so we have a table at 8:30, but, if we get huingry earlier, we'll just go to Anytime!"...and, of course, those people never get to their set table, they just add to the numbers waiting for a table at Anytime!

 

You need to realize that most cruise ships were designed for the situation where you have traditional seating--and enough seats in the dining room to accommodate HALF of the full capacity of passengers at any one time. That was the beauty of the old "traditional" dining: You have 2,000 passengers and 1,000 seats for dinner. Half eat at 6:00, half at 8:30...all tables assigned.

 

But, as people started demanding more flexibility, cruise lines like NCL or Oceania have gone to ALL open seating...People just need to be aware that it may require a bit of a wait if you show up at, say, 7:30. Everyone onboard can't eat at the same time--not enough seats. So, the cruise line manages it like a restaurant...Some people wait, others get hurried along a bit. They can influence when people eat by scheduling show times and other activities to encourage people to choose to eat sooner or later...BUT, at least the Dining Room staff has the ability to use ALL of the seats available to it...

 

BUT, some cruise lines, Princess included, have chosen to try to satisfy everyone by offering both Traditional seating AND Anytime...So, what they've done is to divide up their Dining Rooms between the two groups. AND, unfortunately for Princess, Princess ships are NOT designed for flexibility here. Unlike some cruise lines with just one very big dining room, Princess tends to have as many as four smaller dining rooms on some ships...and it is difficult to redistribute seating "on the fly".

 

So, say you have that same 2,000 passenger ship...and you've allowed 1,000 to enroll in Anytime and caused the other 1,000 to be in Traditional...And you've then set aside one (or two) rooms totalling 500 seats to Traditional Dining and properly assigned those seats in two seatings to the folks signed up in Traditional...And you've designated the other dining room(s), totalling 500 seats to "Anytime", hoping those 1,000 guests would show up spread out accross the evening from 6:00 to 10:00, approximating two seatings...but workable if some guests are just a little patient while others, unwittingly, may be moved along to clear the space.

 

HOWEVER, with Princess, what tends to happen is that of those 1,000 designated for Traditional, only 500 show up as assigned...Every table in Traditional is half empty...Some tables are completely empty...Meanwhile, over in the Anytime rooms, they are trying to squeeze 1,500 guests into those 500 seats during the same 4 hour window...

 

It just doesn't work...

 

Now, we have approached the front of the line for anytime and have been told there was an HOUR wait...And, we've complained--and were taken to another room...where we've found lots of empty tables. It's been 7:00 pm and the Traditional early seating diners should have been there already and clearly they weren't coming! The space was there...so Princess reluctantly moved us...and, not to tables with other Traditional diners--but to ENTIRELY EMPTY tables!

 

Okay, here's where I really get upset with Princess:

I also cruise regularly with Celebrity and Royal Caribbean. Both of those lines have a similar setup--Both options of Traditional or Anytime. On those lines, when you arrive at the podium outside the designated Anytime entrance to the dining room, they ask for your cabin number, bring it up on their computer, check you in and bring you to a table. If someone shows up without the appropriate Anytime designation, THEY TURN THEM AWAY! They don't seem to have many complaints about this. People learn fast. As a result, I have NEVER waited more than about 5 minutes to be seated on a Royal Caribbean or Celebrity ship...even though we typically arrive at dinner between 7:00 and 7:30...

 

IT CAN BE DONE...

 

In fact, it MUST be done...Are you listening, Princess?

You either have to go to ALL Anytime, return to ALL Traditional...OR you must police your system properly. The numbers just do not work where you let all of your Traditional diners use their seating assignment as an "option"...

[LovetheSea]

Call me old fashioned. But I like the traditional assigned dining. I like going to my same table, seeing the same waiters and cruise passengers. You get more aquainted with them. I don't want it to feel like going out to a restaurant at home. But if someone tries it and doesn't like it for some reason then I think they should be able to change . But going back and forth is not good. Very rude to the other people at the table. Usually if someone plans to go to one of the specialty restaurants they may say. I won't be here tomorrow evening. That way the waiters know not to wait the next night and hold up taking orders from the people who showed up. It is your vacation. You should do what you want and what makes you happy. Just be polite about it. Maybe inform the Maitre D that you have decided to change to anytime dining.

[Bruin Steve]

Call me old fashioned. But I like the traditional assigned dining. I like going to my same table, seeing the same waiters and cruise passengers...

 

Let me just add this about the Anytime systems used on Celebrity and Royal Caribbean: These lines actually make note of which tables you have been assigned to each night...And we've found that they've consistently assigned us to the same waiters' section, even to the same table, often with the same tablemates night after night...

One RCCL cruise with our daughters, they sat us at the same exact table for four 6 nights out of 7...and on the one night we didn't get it, they put us at the very next table over with the same waiters...On a 13 night Celebrity cruise, out of 12 nights (we were in a specialty restaurant one night), they sat us at the same table 9 nights...with, mostly, the same tablemates every one of those nights...The other three nights, we were at the next table over--with the same waiters...

 

I guess it helped that we had the habit of arriving at the Dining room at approximately the same time each night...

 

The waiters really got to know us--just like with traditional dining, but we were able to eat at 7:00, rather than "too early" at 6:00 or "too late" at 8:30...

 

Also, with these lines, you can also make a "standing reservation" with anytime and "request" the same waiter or table...

[pablo222]

Our one time in anytime dining' date=' over the course of the 14 nights, [u']twice[/u] we were seated at a table at which some of the tablemates had already placed their orders.

 

What would the alternative be --- seat some people at a large

table, but don't let them order until the table is full?

 

...sort of like a bus to the airport at the end of the cruise.

[IECalCruiser]

Our one time in anytime dining' date=' over the course of the 14 nights, [u']twice[/u] we were seated at a table at which some of the tablemates had already placed their orders. It wasn't our doing at all -- we always requesting a "shared" table, but didn't ask for a table where this was occurring. It did make for an awkward situation -- either the waiter holds off serving the first passengers until our appetitzer was ready or else he serves the items when ready and we're just sitting there waiting. About seven of those other days, we just ate in the Horizon.

What would the alternative be --- seat some people at a large

table, but don't let them order until the table is full?

 

...sort of like a bus to the airport at the end of the cruise.

The point is that the room should be managed such that tables are filled one at a time and quickly enough that everyone at the table can order at the same time.

[pablo222]

The point is that the room should be managed such that tables are filled one at a time and quickly enough that everyone at the table can order at the same time.

 

Sure, in a perfect world.

[OC Gypsy]

I've never been on a cruise but will be in 3 weeks, so Anything Dining is not buffet?

[RetiredNTraveling]

I've never been on a cruise but will be in 3 weeks, so Anything Dining is not buffet?

“Food & Dining”:

Traditional: This ship offers several formal dining rooms in the cruise tradition, with Traditional Dining at the same times for each meal, with attentive service provided by your own waiter throughout the cruise. Served in one of the MDR!

Anytime: Our Selection! Means you aren't limited to eating at a fixed time or place on the ship. Instead, the choice of when and where you want to eat is flexible, based only on your stomach's whim. Served in the other two MDRs!

 

Specialty Restaurants offer a dining experience; intimate and upscale atmosphere. Each restaurant offers a distinctive menu with both traditional favorites and more adventurous options prepared and served by a staff dedicated to making your evening unforgettable.

Casual:

1. 24-hour International Café
   
2. Horizon Court
   
3. 24-hour room service
   

Relax and enjoy!

Edited August 19, 2014 by RetiredNTraveling

[Ethel5]

It's a little hard to demand that no additional people be seated in your section.

 

I never said nor would I "demand" that people not be seated in my section. All I'm doing is making a statement that seating people late in the food service causes a disruption.

[Ethel5]

Sure, in a perfect world.

 

It doesn't take a perfect world. They do it every day at breakfast and lunch!

[Lovetocruiseprincess]

I never said nor would I "demand" that people not be seated in my section. All I'm doing is making a statement that seating people late in the food service causes a disruption.

 

OK. It's a little hard to expect that no additional people be seated in your section during you meal.

[pablo222]

It doesn't take a perfect world. They do it every day at breakfast and lunch!

 

I think that breakfast and lunch are not at all the same in terms of demand.

 

For instance, I have never see pagers in use at breakfast or lunch,

only at dinner.

 

Plenty of excess capacity -- especially at breakfast. It doesn't matter

if you leave a few seats open. Not at all true at dinner.

[Ethel5]

OK. It's a little hard to expect that no additional people be seated in your section during you meal.

 

No, it is a reasonable expectation that can easily be achieved by not allowing TA diners to go to AT at will and not allowing AT diners to make reservations that bog down the system.

[Chicagobearfan]

Since the original poster mentioned information from someone just off the Golden, I will add this about our recent experience on the Golden. We were on the July 26th sailing of the Golden to Alaska. We were traveling with our family of 12 so we chose traditional dining because we thought it would be hard to get 12 of us seated together in anytime dining. We were dining on our first sea day when our waiter told us that our dining room would be closed for early dining the next day. He said that because we will be docked in Juneau until 10PM the next day, Princess has found that not enough people use the main dining room for the early traditional seating and prefer to go on tours or stay out in the town of Juneau until later. He said we should eat in any of the other dining venues on that one day. That could have been why the original poster heard about people from the Golden eating in anytime dining when assigned to traditional.

I also found it to be thoughtful of Princess to change our dining time to 5:00 instead of 5:30 for the day we docked in Victoria at 7PM. This allowed people to still eat in early traditional dining and be able to get off the ship for tours or walking on their own when 7:00 came. I don't know what people assigned late dining were told, but Princess certainly tried to accommodate us early diners.

[Cruisin' Chick]

I've never been on a cruise but will be in 3 weeks, so Anything Dining is not buffet?

 

To answer your question (since the following poster didn't):

 

Anytime dining is not the same as eating in the buffet. It's like traditional dining in that you are seated at a table and a waiter will hand you a menu and take your order. It's the same menu and dress code that night as in the traditional dining room. But with traditional dining, you have an assigned time, table and waitstaff. With anytime, you go to one of the anytime dining room during the dinner period. When you're at the front of the line, the head waiter will ask if you want to share a table with other passengers (rather than wait for a table for two, as there's a limited number of those). You'll be escorted to a table when available.

 

The buffet which is located in the Horizon Court on Princess is different. No dress code (other than the obvious of wearing shoes/sandals/flip flops, covering any bathing suit -- hopefully not wet, hopefully something more than a wife beater shirt). Some of the items will be the same as the MDRs, but not a complete match. You enter the serving area, get a platter, and mostly serve yourself. There's a carving station, a salad bar, all sorts of breads and rolls, desserts, soups. You then find a table that will have silverware on it. A beverage server will come by and take any drink orders or bring you water. There's usually two sections of the HC, each with an entrance (some ships will have another set of back entrances too). So when the food is being changed out (breakfast to lunch, lunch to dinner), one side will be closed, but the other will stay open.

 

As noted, there are specialty dining rooms (with a cover charge), the International Cafe (an open area with display cases of light foods) that's open 24/7 and is on most Princess ships. There's a grill and pizzeria by the pool. Room service with a full menu if you're in a suite, limited if not. Some ships have more options too. You can find out what's on your ship by going to the Princess website.

[caribill]

 

Okay, here's where I really get upset with Princess:

I also cruise regularly with Celebrity and Royal Caribbean. Both of those lines have a similar setup--Both options of Traditional or Anytime. On those lines, when you arrive at the podium outside the designated Anytime entrance to the dining room, they ask for your cabin number, bring it up on their computer, check you in and bring you to a table. If someone shows up without the appropriate Anytime designation, THEY TURN THEM AWAY! They don't seem to have many complaints about this. People learn fast. As a result, I have NEVER waited more than about 5 minutes to be seated on a Royal Caribbean or Celebrity ship...even though we typically arrive at dinner between 7:00 and 7:30...

 

 

One big difference between Princess and RCCL.

 

On Princess they limit the number of traditional diners and any overflow are assigned to anytime. Similarly, they do not limit anytime numbers, so there can be many empty tables in traditional if not enough passengers signed up for it.

 

On RCCL they limit the number of anytime (mytime) diners and the overflow are assigned to traditional. This means there is a reasonable limit to the number of anytime diners and thus wait times may be smaller.

[caribill]

What would the alternative be --- seat some people at a large table, but don't let them order until the table is full?

 

 

That is essentially the way it works on Princess, but in reverse.

 

If we are just finishing up appetizers/salads and a new couple is seated at our table, we do not get our main entree until the new couple has caught up to us. In other words the new couple has to order, has to get their appetizers/salads, eat them and thus be ready for their entrees before our entrees and theirs are served at the same time.

[caribill]

I've never been on a cruise but will be in 3 weeks, so Anything Dining is not buffet?

 

Others have answered your basic question, but here is another point.

 

At the time you made your booking, the agent should have asked for your dining preference. You should have been given the choices of early traditional (about 6 PM), late traditional (about 8 PM) and anytime (show up when you want between 5:30 PM and 9:30 PM).

 

If you were not asked this question, your agent still signed you up for one of these.

 

On the Princess personalizer (where you filled out your passport information, selected shore excursions, printed boarding passes, etc.) it will tell you which type of evening dining you signed up for.

 

When you get your cruise card upon checking in at the cruise terminal, it will say if you have traditional by listing a dining room and a time. Otherwise you will be in the anytime category.

 

On Princess the daily newsletter (called the Patter) which lists all activities will be in your cabin when you embark and the next day's Patter will be delivered each evening. The back page of the Patter will list all of the dining options as well as the times they are open.

 

If you want to eat breakfast and lunch (sea days only) in a dining room, only one dining room is open for this (Patter lists which one and its hours). It is open seating.

 

If you have not done so yet, join the Cruise Critic roll call for your cruise NEW! Find Your PRINCESS Roll Call

 

Above all, do not be afraid to ask questions. Before the cruise in this forum and on your roll call. And on the cruise with cruise staff and fellow passengers. You do not want to reach the end of the cruise and say "I wish I had known about that."

 

Have a great first cruise. You may well get hooked.